No icons or fences by start windows 8 desktop

When I start windows 8 and go to my desktop, I only see the taskbar and the background picture.

After a right click with the mouse, the fences appear.

How to configure fences to show fences right away?

57,623 views 54 replies
Reply #1 Top

Fences should show right away by default.  

Have you set Fences to be hidden until you interact with the desktop (Quick-hide)?

What version are you running?

Reply #2 Top

The version is 2.0.

The Quick-hide is enabled.

Auto hide disabled.

Auto show icons when desktop is in use is enabled.

And show icons when drag/drop to desktop is enabled.

 

So i will disable Quick hide.

 

Thnaks,

 

Peter.

 

Reply #3 Top

After "disable Quick Hide" I still get a empty desktop, so no changes.

 

Rg,

 

Peter

I also use the Stardock Start8.

 

 

Reply #4 Top

This initital hidden state, or slow loading, is a Win8 problem that others have experienced.  I noted in the other thread (https://forums.stardock.com/436973) that it wasn't just slow loading, but sometimes requires right click to make appear.  I am still in the version 1.x release, so this isn't unique to Fences 2.0 by any means.

Reply #5 Top

Quoting A_Feest, reply 5
I am still in the version 1.x release,
End of A_Feest's quote

This is known and expected and will not be addressed.  fences 2 is Win8 ready, Fences 1 is not.

 

Please email support@stardock.com if you are having issues with F2 on Win8

Reply #6 Top

Zubaz,

 

Note that the OP states he is in 2.0 and is experiencing this issue.  I am pointing out that this issue also occurs in 1.x and is obviously something in the legacy product 2.0 must be built on.  So if this is 'known' when will it be addressed in 2.0, which obviously isn't quite Win8 ready, because I sure will not be buying it with this current behavior.

Reply #7 Top

Quoting Zubaz, reply 6
Please email support@stardock.com if you are having issues with F2 on Win8
End of Zubaz's quote

Reply #8 Top

I also have Fences Pro 2 and Start8 with the identical problem. It takes a right-click on the desktop to show the fences. I have submitted a support ticket last Sunday and have not as yet received a reply. Although just an annoyance, it still needs to be resolved to work as designed.

Reply #9 Top

Quoting A_Feest, reply 7
Zubaz,

 

Note that the OP states he is in 2.0 and is experiencing this issue.  I am pointing out that this issue also occurs in 1.x and is obviously something in the legacy product 2.0 must be built on.  So if this is 'known' when will it be addressed in 2.0, which obviously isn't quite Win8 ready, because I sure will not be buying it with this current behavior.
End of A_Feest's quote

Zubaz is quite correct that 1.x has a known problem where it will never show the icons and fences unless you right click on the desktop on Windows 8.  This is different to the reported problem of Fences 2 being slow to start on Windows 8.  It will start though it may take 30 seconds or so, but a right click on the desktop forces the load in the same way Fences 1.x does on Win8.

Reply #10 Top

As stated elsewhere on this forum, I have exactly the same problem with fences 2.1, there are no icons on the desktop until you press right mouse click.

I am running Windows 8 Enterprise 64 bit with a multi monitor configuration.  I also use Start 8.

There is another problem, whether it is related to Fences  or Start 8, I do not know.  When a new programme is installed and creates a desktop icon, the desktop icon does not appear on the primary monitor, it always appears on either the second or third monitor.  It is possible this could be a Windows 8 problem but it has arisen since I installed fences 2.1.

Reply #12 Top

The Fences 2.1 desktop and icons also appear when Windows (File) Explorer is started. This would seem to suggest that the problem is something to do with the way that Fences interacts with the Explorer Shell.

Reply #13 Top

Still no solution available? Just updated to win8.1 and the bug sill is there, even with 2.11. Any solution guys or Stardock stuff?

A've asked to support about 6 months ago and still nothing. Very sad.

Reply #14 Top

So if Fences is disabled and I Enable it after view seconds of desktop loads it works perfectly.

Only way, I think is somehow delay Enabling Fences, not Starting. But I don't know how to get this command and create *bat.

Any ideas? 

 

Reply #16 Top


When I start windows 8 and go to my desktop, I only see the taskbar and the background picture.

After a right click with the mouse, the fences appear.

How to configure fences to show fences right away?

End of quote

 

Same problem, after update windows 8 to windows 8.1, my desktop is empty on start. A right clik on the mouse lets start fences...

I have the 2.11 version...

 

It's a bug.

 

Let me know how to resolve this problem.

bob

Reply #17 Top

What happens if instead of right clicking you simply wait say 1 minute?

Reply #19 Top

Quoting Neil, reply 17

What happens if instead of right clicking you simply wait say 1 minute?
End of Neil's quote

Nothing happen...I can wait a night , desktop is empty until I clik right button of the mouse....

 

 

 

 

Reply #20 Top

I have this problem too. I use Windows 8.1 Pro x64 (with Slovenian MUI) with Fences 2.11.

 

I did some tests and found out that right mouse click do the trick and show Fences and icons. I prepared short routine that simulate right mouse click (and also left click to hide showed popup menu) and i put it in start foldes, so it starts every time at start up and show Fences and icons on the desktop without "mouse right click".

 

But, this is not right solution. I did some checks and found out:

 

Windows registry (with Fences installed) has two entries where are settings related to "show desktop icon":

 

1. Windows:

 

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]

"HideIcons"=dword:00000000

 

if "HideIcons" is set to 0 then icons will appear (is not hidden)

if "HideIcons" is set to 1 then icons will not appear (it is hidden)

 

2. Fences:

 

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Stardock\Fences\Settings]

"QuickhideActive"=dword:00000000

 

if "QuickhideActive" is set to 0 then icons will appear (is not hidden)

if "QuickhideActive" is set to 1 then icons will not appear (it is hidden)

 

So, after restart Windows and login as a user, icon will not appear. If you do right mouse click on the desktop in short time after login, you could see explorers popup menu without Fences shell extension. You could click "View" and see that "Show desktop icon" is not confirmed and registry entry "HideIcons" is set to 1.

 

After next mouse action (click) desktop icon and fences appear. If you do the »right mouse click« on desktop when Fences is already on the desktop, you could see that Fences shell extension is loaded and showed in pop up menu. Now you could see  menu with »Configure Fences« and also »View / Show Desktop Icons«; this is Fences extension. I use Windows 8.1 with Slovenian MUI and the differences between explorers pop menu (right ckick on desktop) with or without Fences is visible becouse of different languages (Explorer is in Slovene language, Fences is in english language).

Also registry value "HideIcons" is changed from 1 (hide icons on desktop) to 0 (show icons on desktop) after right mouse click.

 

I did every combination with Fences or Explorers setting »show/hide desktop icons« on logout and restart Windows and every time when Windows is restarted or user do logout/login, registry value

 

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]

"HideIcons"=dword:00000000

 

is set to 0 and desktop is without icons end Fences. I also tried this with different Fences settings but it did not solve the problem. It seems that, becouse of unknown reason, velue "HideIcons" is always set to 1 at Windows startup or users login.

 

I tried to change registry value »HideIcons« to »0« on startup with simply *.reg routine (start this routine immediately after Explorer startup and before Fences dll or exe start) but no success. It seems that some of Fences dll or exe files couse this problem.

 

So, for now i will stay with my »right mouse click« routine at start up to show desktop icons and wait for better solution.

 

Maybe someone have better solution to avoid missing icons problem.

 

br, Dejan

Reply #21 Top

Add one more user experiencing this issue. Win8.1, fences 2.11, multiple monitors. Right-click works but this should be fixed by Stardock.

Reply #23 Top

Another me too.

running Win 8Pro x64 v8.1 - Fences does not appear to run/display on boot up (right clicking the desktop gets it going as others have said)

running 2.12 beta

This was not an issue before I upgraded win 8.1 from win 8.

 

Steve 

 

Reply #24 Top

To "cyberirakli" and to "SteveR"

 

I did this "mouse" routine few months ago. I just use mouse and keyboard recorder and compile recorded macro into exe file. You could find it with Google (you could also try at h**p://www.jitbit.com/macro-recorder/ ).

 

How i did it:

1. do right mouse click on empty desktop

2. move mouse a little bit (aprox. 1 cm) and do left mouse click (becouse you did right mouse click, dialog shows and with left mouse click you will close it)

3. do left mouse click

4. manualy delete time between each action (to save time)

5. convert macro into exe file

6. put link to created exe in "start up" menu at the last position (for me it doesn't work if my mouse routine starts first; i don't know why)

 

I could send already made routine to you, if you will send me PM.

 

br, Dejan